Guernsey
Milk Cow:

We raise registered Guernsey cows on our small farm and sell them on occasion
but we are not licensed to sell milk so we drink all we can and feed the rest to
the poultry. We very much would love to sell raw milk here in the valley
but after an extensive feasibility study, we determined it was just too
expensive. In order to pay for the state required milking parlor, cooling
equipment, license fee, and the biggest and most onerous fee - liability
insurance (if we could even get it), we would have to become a very large dairy.
There is a reason small farmers in this country struggle and it is two fold.
The government regulations and the litigious culture. So, we accept that which
we cannot change. But, it will not stop us from milking and raising our
girls for our own use. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people who
encouraged us to sell milk and have followed us on line. We do appreciate
your support.

So, I'd like you to meet the girls. The cow on the left is
our first registered Guernsey
dairy cow, Sally, tested to only produce the A2/A2 protein which she passed on to her
calves. She came to us all the way from
Wisconsin and is my favorite animal on the whole farm. Guernsey is a rare
breed that is listed as threatened on the Livestock Conservancy list of
rare
breeds. She was pregnant when we purchased her and gave birth to a little
heifer in September of 2011. That would be the lovely girl on the right
named Betsey. In November of 2012 she gave birth to another registered
heifer which we named Dixie. Little Dixie is the girl in the middle but
she no longer lives with us. She was sold to a lady in North Texas to
start a herd there. But, we've got a new addition to our farm.
Little Daisy was bron on February 11, 2015 to Betsey out of a young sire known
as Navajo. We feel honored to have such a wonderful
collection of Guernseys to assist our efforts
at preserving endangered livestock
and producing the best milk on earth.

The reason we wanted to raise our own milk is we
could not find a reliable source here in the valley and we prefer to drink raw
Guernsey milk. So, we decided to just do it ourselves. We believe
raw milk from healthy Guernsey cows raised on grass is far superior in taste and nutrition. It
is of course a controversial subject but I ask you to remain open minded until
you have researched both sides and then decide what is best for you and your
family. Here is a great article that I think explains it well - http://mylifeinapyramid.com/2012/03/my-raw-milk-conversion-why-how-i-decided-to-embrace-fresh-local-milk/

There are several breeds of dairy cows but we
prefer the Guernsey. The Guernsey is known for their "golden" color milk
resulting from an abundance of carotene. Carotene is what makes carrots
orange and is responsible for vitamin A production. Guernsey's are
excellent at converting grass into a rich milk high in butter fat and rich in
minerals and nutrients. Since we prefer to limit the grain fed to our dairy cows,
we felt the Guernsey was our best choice. They are also known for their
gentle disposition and I can attest to that. They simply love human
attention and have a heart of gold.

If you have at least an acre, I hope you
consider raising your own milk. We would love to help you with information
if needed. This is not hard or complicated and in fact is extremely
rewarding and enjoyable if you like animals. Being self sufficient with
real wholesome food is certainly worth the small amount of effort. Let us
know if we can be off assistance.

Many people want unprocessed organically
raised milk for the health benefits but honestly, if it doesn't taste better
than store bought processed milk, why bother. You may try it for your
health benefits but you'll continue for the taste. This is old fashion milk that
is so fresh, it was grass yesterday! We've tried raw milk from Jerseys,
Holsteins, milking shorthorns, and goats but nothing comes close to the
wonderful taste of real Guernsey A2 milk from lush Bermuda pastures like here in
Texas. This is full bodied unadulterated milk where the cream rises to the
top. The color is actually a light golden tint which first brought the
Guernsey breed their fame. Nothing about it will be like store bought
milk. Processed milk is like a poor imitation but this is the real thing
and once you've tried it, you'll not be happy with the other milk again.
If you are afraid of raw unprocessed milk, consider this information.

If you are lactose intolerant, then you might
want to try raw milk because it still contains the enzymes used to digest the
lactose. Those enzymes are destroyed in processing so you are left with
the lactose sugar but without the enzyme needed to digest it. I personally
believe raw milk is much better for children's brain development (research
autism and A2 milk), bones, and immune system. But again, the biggest
advantage to most people is the taste!

The most nutritious and top quality milk is that from cows
grazing on lush grasses from organically managed pastures. Since a dairy
cow is such a high producing animal, her diet is very important to provide her
with everything she needs for her own body as well and the nutrition she passes
on through her milk. We are lucky in that our girls can find that on our
fertile soil and lush irrigated Bermuda grass.

Since an imbalance, or lack of minerals, can
cause health problems very fast in dairy cows, we provide the cows with a daily
amount of sea kelp along with free choice mixed minerals. Sea kelp has probably every mineral needed in the body
and is balanced by the ocean. It contains trace minerals as well as
important vitamins in an organic form. Along with that we give her a small amount of apple
cider vinegar poured over oats to keep them interested.
As a result, they stay in tip top shape and have had no health problems.

RAW MILK:

Check out the web site
www.realmilk.com for some great
information about raw milk or this one
http://www.robinsonfarm.org/Raw_Milk_Safety_Facts.pdf . Even better is a book The Untold Story of Milk. It tells the story of raw milk
through the ages and compares certain cultures that live mainly on raw milk to
modern society that drinks pasteurized milk. It also compares the increase
in certain diseases and health problems associated with pasteurized milk.
At times the book gets very technical when it explains the chemical changes that
happen when milk is heated. Basically, it destroys the bacteria, including
beneficial bacteria, vitamins, renders some of the minerals unusable (unable to
be absorbed), and creates an unbalanced state of calcium, phosphates and other
important life giving elements.

Raw milk on the other hand is alive with
enzymes, probiotics, complete and balanced minerals, and natural vitamins.
Throughout history, raw milk has been used to restore health and strengthen
immunity. Not just any raw milk will do though. Just as we are
affected by what we eat, cows can only produce quality milk on quality feed.
Nothing is better for a cow than fresh green grass growing on organically
managed pastures. Cattle were not designed to live on grain but are
equipped with a rumen to digest grass and forage. A small amount of grain
can be tolerated but a grain based diet will change the PH of the digestive
system and bring on a number of health issues so common in commercial dairies.
Living green grass is full of living enzymes and that is passed on to you when
you drink her raw milk. That golden sweet raw milk from a grass fed
Guernsey is natures most perfect and complete food.

THE MILK INDUSTRY:

Here is an article that explains how your milk
is produced and the affects on our environment. I would much prefer every
community have their own small grass based dairy and I do believe there is a
movement in that direction.